Missing Indiana man’s body found in Tippecanoe River

LEITERS FORD, Ind. (AP) – State Police say a northern Indiana man’s body has been found in the Tippecanoe River three days after he apparently fell into that river.

State conservation officers found 20-year-old Aaron Tracy Eckman’s body Friday night about a mile from the spot where the Lapaz man is believed to have fallen into the river.

Eckman was last seen early Wednesday in the Fulton County community of Leiters Ford about 40 miles south of South Bend where he’d visited his girlfriend’s relatives.

Conservation officers faced treacherous conditions in their searches for Eckman because heavy rains have left the river rain-swollen.

First Sergeant Bob Burgess says conservation officers “risked their own safety by working in the swift currents and the high water of the river to bring a resolution to this tragic case.”